Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-12
LIFE IN NEW YORK.

..e~-e~
A BREWERY NAcSArE AND THE CLOSE RELATION
BETWEEN BEER AND AoSEY-sroRy OF A BOY
CorT.
Special Correspondence OF THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK. March IL, 1887.
CONSPICUOUS At THE LATE ARIoN BALL
was short sturdy man, partly bald. and wearing
a silver moustache. lie was about sixty-three
years Old His face was norid his features were
massive, his eyebrows white and shaggy, and his
eyes blue and deep-set He wore no jewelry, and
was attired In plain dress suit with old-fash-
Toned turn down collar. He looked like a hard
working German farmer moving In select society
A bevy OF middle-aged ladies, robed plainly but
with exquisite taste, occupied his box. He stood
behind them, gazing at the masquerade and re-
ceiving the friends who called ut the box with
blum but hearty hospitality. In the little ante
room adjoining stood tiny table covered With cut
glass ware. Bottles OF wine stood In coolers be
heath H. and the frequent popping OF corks reached
gentleman was and is. probably the richest Ger
man In the city OF New York. He came here forty
Years ago, poor boy, isn9rant OF our Language,
the President OF the United states in business
taxes His generosity has kept pace with his
wealth. 1t is true benevolence for it Is unobtru-
sive, and, except in isolated cases, is not known
dispenser Is as genial as the face OF Uncle Josh
Whftcomb. IL is the face OF George Ehret, the
brewer: For months his beer was unjustly boy
the boycott is worth repeating:
Fifteen years ago Carl TheiSs, now q notorious
boyhood had been spent in Berlin and vienna. He
had been emyloyed In the immense concert gar
dens In those cities, where
BEER FLOWED LIKE WATER,
while the air was filled with strains OF the best In
strumental music. Thesis foresaw great future
for such gardens In New York. He ached TO be the
owner and superintendent OF one, but he had no
money. Chance threw him into the way OF George
Ehree To him he unfoded his plans. Ehret fore
saw many d1fnculties In the way, but was nnally
induced to put up over 500 600 for the establish
ment OF garden. central spot on l4th street
a spacious building, and the hall was opened to
the public. Thesis at first followed the custom in
German cities, and made no charge for admission.
For SIX months his patrons were almost exclusively
German. The good burghers brought their fami-
lies with them and enjoyed the beer and music 10
place became a resort for the fast young men and
women OF the metropolis. The old Germans were
slowly being weeded out, much to Thesis chagrin.
AT nrSt he made fight againt the food OF immor-
ality. He charged an admission fee OF half dol
lar, fancy1ng that this would stem the tide. To
Tree his old and respectable patrons. The scheme,
however, did not work. The admission fee served
only to whet the appetite OF the
so1LED DOVES AND THEIR MATES,
and the garden finally became as obnoxious as the
HaymarKet and the Buckingham. Worse than all,
OF II, and the entire quarter became contaminated
Thesis stopped catering for the old German ele-
ment, and went In for what he could make out OF
its successor. For long time The quaSi-reSpecta-
bility OF the garden served 10 allure unsuspicious
women and others who loved music, and who fell
an easy prey TO those who fatten on crime. The
music was OF the first quality. Thesis was grow
ing rich. He had amaSsed nearly enough money
TO pay or his Indebtedness to Ehret, when a storm
gathered on the horizon. A man not member OF
The Musicians Protective association began 10
blow Il nute in the orchestra The association de-
| manded his discharge. Thesis refused, and the
musicians boycotted his place. Thesis stood out
for six weeks and then sought peace, owing to The
| pressure put Ehret by the labor unions who
! had discovered that he held mortgage on the
| place. The ultimatum OF the Protective aSsocia-
| ton required that Thesis should pay the expense
| OF the boycott, $1,000. He protested a second
time, but finally, by EhretS advice paid the money
About this time the
GREAT STRIKE OF THE GARDENERS
| occurred. Property was destroyed, and men were
mObbed in various parts OF the city. The social
lists secured partial control OF the labor unions
and business men began to evince uneasneSs.
The authorities determined TO deaden the agita-
| ton by few prosecutions. Herr Most and some
| OF his conferees We're sent to the penitentiary,
| and the Landgran boycOtters became entangled In
pIoyers Indicted the committee wSo received rec
ThieSs s., 600 for blackma1. The district attoe-
ney promptly placed its members on trial. His
The men were convicted by jury or employers
on the testimony OF Geo. EhTet, who acknowl-
money. In an instant the trade unions were In
arms against Ehret. vainly he pleaded his limo
cent intent. Repeated proofs OF his friendship for
work1ngmen'S organizations were shown without
avail The fact that he had been placed upon the
stand against his Will had no effect The laborers
| seemed TO think that he ought either to have
| they b0ycOtted him. This was nine months
ago. The effect on the old Germans business was
disastrous, but he preserved his eQuanimity trust
ing that time would convince the trade unions
that he had been treated unjustly. His friends
and his employees, all members OF trades unions,
were active in his behalf and he had much news
paper sympathy. FEW unions had withdrawn
the boycott, when the heat OF the George campaign
destroyed the tendency to award the old man
justice. After Georges defeat repeated efforts TO
remove it were defeated in the Central Labor
union, dominated by socialists Their bitterness
| At last they actually ordered Ehrets own malt.
STEERS, brewers and drivers 10 boycott his brewing
under penalty OF expulsion from the central as
/ SociatiOn. This outrageous proposition excited
universal Indignation 1t proved a boomerang.
The real workingmen closed ranks, entered the
Central union, and voted down the friends OF
| Justus Schwab and Jablonowsky. The boycott
has been removed, and the gOOd-natured old
brewer is again smiling, and contented. But
IT WAS A ROUGH EXPERIENCE.
| Men who ought to know say that half a million
dollars Will not begin to cover his loss. Thesis
! has been driven TO the wall, and Ehret loses
tolls OF the Workingmen, the Old Fellow has now
fallen into the claws OF organization OF retail
| uQu0E UtdlcIA IL Is DOycUllluS HIS uccT UcCduSc
Ehret is a member OF the Brewers association,
which refuses to alowthe retailers TO change their
beer at Will This boycott. however, Will prob
ably AFFECT the old German less than any OF his
associates. He holds mortgages on about $500
saloons. Their prOprietors will undoubtedly sell
his beer without murmur despite thelr sympathy
with the bOycOtters
Ehret'S wealth Is estimated at
BETWEEN s15,OOO,0 900 AND sls,000,oo0.
| He holds more mortgages than any man In the
CITY, and he is the owner OF vast blocks OF real
estate. dozen German brewers busted in p:ling
| I'D immense fortunes are trailing in his wake.
George Bechtel, the kuntz Brothers, and Peter
Dodgers Sons are among them. Each OF these is
| millionaire, and three at least are worth
s. 600 600 apiece. For years the lager beer held
| was LETT entirely to the Germans.~Now, however,
! the Americans are coming 70 the front. They ere
business methods, sheridan Shook is silent
partner in one Of these brewer1eS He is SO silent
and conndng that he never visited the establish
! ment but once. Then he walked into the count
| fnp-roOnl. looked at huge Tart on the book
| Keepers neck, said 'Huh" lighted cigar, and
profit IRON the business, he can well AFFORD TO
| amuse himself with poker and politics.
The gigantic fortunes made in brewer1eS within
| the last twenty years more than dwarf those OF
earlier years Forty years ago New YOrkS favor
fte brewer was Old Charley Wardlow. He kept
by sailors, printers and the elite OF Wall street.
lie was an Englishman who brewed his own ale.
His brewery was little shanty on the outskirts VI
BROOKLYN. Once a month he closed his Frankfort
street ale-hOuse and shut himself In the Brooklyn
cabin until q brewing was completed. A lew Old
when the virtues or ChaIley's ale are discussed.
When the old brewer had made 81 80 600 he nOd